Ganjapreneur Kitty Chopaka Discusses the Marijuana Landscape in Thailand [S4.E70]

Ed interviews Chokwan ‘Kitty’ Chopaka, an expert on the cannabis industry in Thailand. The interview begins with a discussion of how Kitty ended up in this field - strangely, it was her mother that suggested she’d make a great ‘ganjapreneur.’ After trying a cannabis venture in the U.S., Kitty founded the Thai company Elevated Estate, which serves as both an educator to the entire industry and a consultant to cannabis startups in Thailand.  Ed and Kitty work through the roughly four categories of the cannabis industry: hemp products with very low levels of THC, CBD oil also with low levels but designed as a medical treatment, medical marijuana with high levels of THC, and full blown recreational cannabis. It turns out the Thai government just recently started accepting applications from prospective hemp farmers, and Kitty thinks that products could hit the shelves by the end of the year. Kitty walks us through what’s available in Thailand, what might be available soon, and where the gray lines (and red tape) are that make this burgeoning industry such a fascinating and potentially important one. The future is bright even if the current state of affairs is murky and confusing.  Listeners are encouraged to contact Kitty at Elevated Estate with questions or queries about cannabis-related startups in Thailand.  Don’t forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.